China counted over a half billion consumers of online literature last year – a record – according to an official report, while the number of overseas users also jumped as authorities promoted the industry as a cultural export and soft power tool.
China’s online literature, which includes web novels in a variety of genres accessible via smart phones, tablets and e-readers, has seen a boom over the past decade with the number of authors and readers soaring.
A report by the Chinese Literature Institute, under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said on Sunday that the growth was driven by younger consumers.
Readers aged 26 to 45 accounted for half the total readership, the report said.
The number of online literature consumers in China grew 10.6% year on year in 2024 to 575 million, or nearly half of all citizens.
The number of overseas users, meanwhile, reached 352 million, including readers from more than 200 countries, with the market growing 16.5% year on year to a value of 5.07 billion yuan ($706.12 million).
The report called online literature a new channel for “telling Chinese stories well and deepening exchanges and mutual learning among civilisations”, adding that it had improved the “country’s cultural soft power.” Science fiction in particular was developing rapidly, it added.
With a growth rate of 180%, Japan was the fastest developing foreign market. Britain, Greece, Spain, Brazil, France and Germany also showed strong growth, it said.
Chinese online literature has the largest readership in Asia, which accounts for about 80% of all readers globally and over 50% of global market share by value, the report said.
China Literature Ltd (0772.HK), opens new tab, a leading Chinese online literary reading and writing platform owned by Tencent (0700.HK), opens new tab, has turned many of its online literature works into television and web series, movies and games. Its Hong Kong-listed shares have climbed 23% so far this year.